Blanca Peak Trail

[crowdad]

Trip summary of our trip to Blanca Peak in August 2013

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This trail(Como Lake/Blanca Peak Road) was of course extremely challenging as stated here: TrailDamage.com - Blanca Peak

I honestly didn't really know what I was up against, based on my limited research on the trail and I went into it a little ignorant. I would say that this trail is pushing the limit of the capabilities of an IFS 4Runner. With a set of 35's it would probably be a little easier but with my general setup:

33" BGF Mud Terrains
Rear Elocker
Tundra/LC lift
1.25" front Spidertrax spacers
4X innovation sliders
and offroad bumpers
... it was a very good challenge.

A jeep, LR Defender, or buggy type truck would be more preferable for the trail, but the ability to drive from Austin, Texas to the trail and then up the trail, is something the 4Runner can hold over its competitors heads. The only other vehicles that may compare would be an Xterra, LR Disco or of course the mighty Landcruiser(which 2 of the guys I went with own but we decided to take mine due to the better MPGs).

All that said; this trail is doable! It isn't that the obstacles are impossibly hard or unmanageable, it is the fact that they are right on the edge of the mountain and dangerous/scary(Jaws1 and 2). I have seen the 4runner go up, down and through more challenging obstacles based on what I have witnessed and seen on this forum.


The trip was primarily intended as a mountain climbing trip with 3 buddies of mine, but knowing of Como Road we decided the challenge of driving up this notorious trail would be a good addition to the trip.Our plan was to drive over night from Texas and get there early in the morning to drive up the trail and setup base camp that would give us access to all 3 peaks.



We started up the offroad trail at around 5:30 in the morning. From the low desert basin east of Alamoso(https://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.5...-105.602388&spn=0.06923,0.104628&z=14&iwloc=A) you gain elevation quickly into low cedar and pine scrub, then slowly into a small stretch of aspen.

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Everything is very manageable for a a good ways up the mountain. Many trucks are parked along the trail where the driver either felt comfortable parking and leaving it or where they felt uncomfortable continuing.

As we kept climbing the parked vehicles where fewer and farther in between, and with every bend in the trail our anxiousness/ anticipation was building. It seemed like an eternity but finally on a right bend we turned into what is known as Jaws 1:



Basically just a large monolithic rock jutting across the entire trail, Jaws 1 is not a multiple maneuver obstacle. Without trying to over complicate it, knowing I couldn't go over the middle due to my long wheelbase and smaller tires, I quickly decided my best chance was to go on the upper right side.
Note: I am not telling anyone which is the best line for your particular comfort level or vehicle ability.

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Once past Jaws 1 it is a typical mountain trail with small to medium rocks in the road and the occasional small obstacle. The next major challenge is Jaws 2. This is where most people will turn around. Really, if you can get past this you are golden as the remainder of the trail is pretty doable. You can see Jaws 2 from a distance and can stop and assess if needed and still be able to turn around with ease.

I took the right side as it was a bit wet and slippery and I wanted to stay as far away from the edge as possible. On the left side(the edge) there is a big log built up for 'safety'. You could take this line if you wanted but I felt it would have made my truck go at too much of an angle off camber. Unfortunately the line I chose forces you to go very vertical and then drop directly over a sharp lip that is easy to high center on.

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Sobering Plaque Remembering Leonard Davis:


Starting my approach:

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Trying to hug the right side as much as possible:


Up and over.... well at least the front wheels:

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At this point I was completely high centered on my gas tank skid and my crossmember. When I put it in drive my rear UJoint was clanking every rotation on the rock. I thought at first it was a broken rear axel but luckily I saw all my wheels spinning. There is a tree above all the obstacles that you could winch from, which we tried, but my winch solenoid broke once the full force was put on it. So now I was highcentered with my winch fully taught, locked onto a tree base as the winch would not wind or unwind.

The truck literally needed like more 1 inch of clearance to have made it over with no problem. So we whipped out the highlift jack and positioned it on my favorite addition to the truck, the sliders.


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Over Jaws 2:

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With our adrenaline flowing we made our way over Jaws 2 and continued on, knowing in the back of our minds we still had to go back down the same way we came up. Up next was Jaws 2.5 a large 'V' shaped rock formation that has no dangerous cliff edge.

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Up next is Jaws 3 a more technical section of rocks.

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[Desert Fox]

Congratulations, that is a very difficult trail, I won't even consider it.

Hope you enjoy your stay here.

 

[downpour11]

Nice! Looks like fun!

 

[War Sprout]

Think you could've done it with 32's and no locker?

 

[smallfry]

Congratulations, that is a very difficult trail, I won't even consider it.

Hope you enjoy your stay here.

x2 good job.

 

[crowdad]

Thanks guys. It was definitely a good time. Colorado is an awesome place.

Think you could've done it with 32's and no locker?

Not on the lines I took, no. I mean if you really manhandled it over some of those obstacles you probably could, but it is stressful enough with 33s and a locker.

 

[kbach]

Congratulations, I've walked that trail enough times to know that I wouldn't want to try it with my daily driver. Do you have aftermarket gas tank skids? It looked like your front was stock. What was your winch? Have you had trouble with it before?

 

[crowdad]

Congratulations, I've walked that trail enough times to know that I wouldn't want to try it with my daily driver. Do you have aftermarket gas tank skids? It looked like your front was stock. What was your winch? Have you had trouble with it before?

Yeah all my skids are stock. I think if I lived in Colorado and was always out on the trails I would definitely have invested in some.

The winch is an Engo 9000. I was pretty disappointed in having invested in offroad 'insurance' and then it not come through when I needed it. Hopefully I can just get a replacement solenoid and it is just an electrical thing and not a mechanical one.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

[MENTION=85752]crowdad[/MENTION]

Thanks for the write up man! I've been looking forward to it after seeing your pics in the gallery thread.

It sure looked sketchy when you came off the obstacles on both Jaws 1 & 2. On Jaws 1, it looked like the whole truck slid downhill toward the drivers side a bit @ 2:23... had the tires caught a rock/ledge that could have turned bad real quick. Then @ 3:12 in the Jaws 2 video, where the DS front wheel dives over the ledge... that could have flopped you easily as well. WHOA.

I'd give that trail a shot, but not without a backup/recovery vehicle. So, did you guys end up summiting? Which peaks? Blanca? Ellingwood? Little Bear? All three? The Blanca-Little Bear traverse looks absolutely insane.

 

[crowdad]

[MENTION=85752]crowdad[/MENTION]

Thanks for the write up man! I've been looking forward to it after seeing your pics in the gallery thread.

It sure looked sketchy when you came off the obstacles on both Jaws 1 & 2. On Jaws 1, it looked like the whole truck slid downhill toward the drivers side a bit @ 2:23... had the tires caught a rock/ledge that could have turned bad real quick. Then @ 3:12 in the Jaws 2 video, where the DS front wheel dives over the ledge... that could have flopped you easily as well. WHOA.

I'd give that trail a shot, but not without a backup/recovery vehicle. So, did you guys end up summiting? Which peaks? Blanca? Ellingwood? Little Bear? All three? The Blanca-Little Bear traverse looks absolutely insane.

Thanks for reading BFAD! I hope it is of use to people wanting to go up the trail.
Based on your build thread your truck would be capable of getting up there... probably more than mine.

There were definitely times when it was scary as you pointed out, but I felt safer in those 2 circumstances than I did coming back down on Jaws 1. I have a bit on coming back down I hope to post up soon.

As far as climbing we did Blanca Peak first and then traversed to Ellingwood Point... not as long as the Little Bear Traverse but still pretty exposed!